Dr Kathryn Ackerman
Dr Kathryn Ackerman is a distinguished sports medicine physician and endocrinologist, widely recognised for her expertise in female athlete health and sports endocrinology. Board‑certified in internal medicine, sports medicine, and endocrinology, she brings a rare interdisciplinary perspective to advancing athletic performance, health, and resilience.
A former US national team lightweight rower, she is the founder and director of the Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program and serves as course director for the Biennial International Female Athlete Conference. She chairs the US Rowing Medical Committee, co‑chairs the US Olympic and Paralympic Women’s Health Task Force, and acts as a consultant to the International Olympic Committee on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Her academic contributions include over 150 authored and co‑authored publications and book chapters on sports medicine, endocrinology, and female athlete care.
Internationally respected for her leadership in clinical innovation and advocacy, Dr Ackerman has shaped multidisciplinary models of care that influence policy, education, and long‑term health strategies for active women across all levels of sport.
Friday 17th April
Pregnant Pitches: Navigating Exercise and Sport Before and During Pregnancy
Dr. Sinéad Dufour offers a comprehensive guide lubopelvic pain - prevention and management. This talk will review all the work her FIFA team related to keeping female athletes playing and training while pregnant rather than following traditional, unsubstsantiated and unhelpful guidance that is overly conservative and actually harmful.
Saturday 18th April
Hormonal Contraceptives in Sport: What Every Athlete and Coach Should Know
Hormonal contraceptives are widely used by female athletes, yet their effects on health, performance, and adaptation to training remain misunderstood. In this talk, Prof. Kirsty Elliott-Sale unpacks the latest research on different contraceptive types, their physiological impacts, and practical implications for sport.
Saturday 18th April
Fueling the Female Athlete: From Triad to RED-S – Past Lessons, Future Directions.
Dr. Kathryn Ackerman traces the progression from the Female Athlete Triad to the broader RED-S model, sharing past lessons and future directions for optimally fueling and supporting the female athlete.